5 Books Every Beginner Mentalist Should Read
Welcome seekers of the arcane
You’ve decided to dive headfirst into the mind melting, bottomless rabbit hole of mentalism. Excellent choice, you’ll discover how to look into someone’s soul, steal their thoughts and still have time for a biscuit.
Before you become a wizard of words, you’ll need some spell books.
These aren’t ordinary books, these are the keys to an underground vault
of secrets. Guarded by bowler hats and socks that smell like mystery.
There’s many great books on the subject of mentalism
and I’m sure everyone has their own list of favourites.
Today I’ll share my list of 5 books that I think every beginner mentalist should read and if you don’t, a psychic octopus called Reginald will visit you in your dreams and tickle your feet.
For a full review of each book click its picture.
1: The 13 Steps to Mentalism by Tony Corinda
The grand grimoire of mentalism
13 Steps is considered to be the bible of mentalism techniques., it’s broken down into 13 easy to manage steps covering everything from billet reading to publicity stunts. This book is timeless and many of the techniques are still used by working professionals today.
13 Steps is more than just a manual of mentalism, it’s a rite of passage and if you want to walk the walk, you have to read this book… Twice!
2: Practical Mental Magic by Theodore Annemann
The grim reaper of secrets hands you his notebook
Annemann wasn’t just a mentalist, he was a pioneer who built psychic miracles out of matches and newspaper clippings.
Practical Mental Magic is like opening a portal to the 1930s but instead of finding jazz and prohibition, you’re greeted with about 200 classic routines. Annemann was obsessed with Low tech, high impact mentalism.
Corinda gave us the techniques but Annemann taught us how to weaponise them. Read his essays, the man was a philosopher of deception.
3: Psychological Subtleties 1 by Banachek
The book that taught mentalists to whisper instead of shouting.
If you want to sound like a mind reader and not a magician, this book will teach you psychological deception with real world applications for influencing choices.
It encourages creativity and performance insight, ideal for performers who want to start adding some realism into their routines.
This book doesn’t give you tricks, it gives you tools and tweaks that makes your mentalism feel real.
4: Maximum Entertainment 2.0 by Ken Weber
The secret handbook teaching you how to not be boring.
This isn’t a book of tricks, just performance wisdom that will help you become more likeable, confident and powerful on stage.
Ken Weber holds your hand through audience management, scripting,
opening lines, closing effects, how to structure shows, handle hecklers
and fine tune your persona.
5: Self working mental magic by Karl Fulves
The ghost of mentalism greets you with simple sorcery.
This book is your entry point into the world of mental magic.
It has 67 self working mental miracles which use everyday objects making it a great introduction to mentalism for beginners and leaves you with more time to focus on presentation. While the tricks in this book probably won’t make you famous, they’re stepping stones toward deeper waters.
Fragmented Thoughts
If you’re serious about mentalism, read these books.
These are the blueprints for your new identity, not just as a performer
but as someone who walks the tightrope between illusion and intuition.
Mentalism isn’t just about tricks, it’s about transformation.
So get reading and study like a wizard cramming for a divination exam.
The true mentalist doesn’t just learn tricks, they learn to become the trick.
Stay Weird
ЯYΛП MΣПƬIƧ
International Man of Mischief